Saturday, August 14, 2010

Why I wanted to become a journalist - and you? by David Dunkley Gyimah

David working in Radio circa 1998 physicall cutting tape before spooling it on a reel to reel before playout- you can hear some of those archive moments on his newly launched viewmagazine.tv site

For some it's a calling; others an easy shoe-in ( a linear extrapolation of middle class status sensibility). Then some fall into it by accident, some are well placed given their indepth knowledge of a subject, and some try as they may will perhaps never reach their full potential.

Journalism is a unique field, a gladitorial arena - many will join its quest; thousands will fail. Not because they are no good, but a range of complex reasons. The 80s was an easier era to become a broadcast journalist; in the 60s and 70s when it was in its nascent form it was much easier.

Though if you were from an ethnic background; it was problematic. Today, the chances of joining an established outfit against the weight of diagnosed upheavels, makes for serious questioning of : why you want to become a journalist.

Yes you don't have to join the big boys or girls -as the bloggorama has shown, but you'll look to bring in an income.

Why I became a journalistIn the UK of the 80s if you were black you'd have to gone to Oxbridge for a decent chance of a foot in journalism’s door.

It was a naked, disturbing, crass affair (one that publicly would not dare speak its name). It excluded not just the views of a section of society, but people from sections of society who also felt they had something relevant to share in the public sphere.

Years earlier I remember standing in college cadet garb in Ghana circa 1980s in the midst of a coup de tat, with citizens and friends being shot, indignantly, thinking "people should be seeing this".

That was one of many incidents that later fuelled my interests, I’d see something and say “people should be seeing this”.

In 1994, 6 yrs after beginning my hard slog, I stood amidst the masses in South Africa, witnessing and speaking into a phone to the BBC World Service for the inauguration of Nelson Mandela; People should be seeing this, and it stands as one of the more powerful icons for scratching my itch.

I wanted to become a journalist because when journalism’s common sense prevails, we have the ability to unveil, expose, talk about those individuals and corporations who feel no accountability for their actions, yet should.

And less it be forgotten tell the most amazing stories about human achievement and those who set examples for us to follow, with the thought at the back of my head that: “people should be seeing this”.

Channel 4's Jon Snow comments on David work as "original".

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Nice things said about David's work and training

David is a trend-setter who is always one step ahead of the game in terms of journalism, video and digital media. He is inspiring and an innovator and I am constantly in awe at what he achieves and ideas he comes up with. He’s also an excellent teacher and mentor. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!

David has touched a creative level that deserves an Oscar. More importantly he is paving the way for future journalists and will radically change the way we see news. A truly inspirational and dynamic character.

I presented viewmagazine.tv at a recent company meeting at NBC Universal for executives in digital media. This high-level media crowd was in stunned and amazed at the creativity and intellectual complexity of this dynamic website. A winner!

David has been changing the game since long before I met him. His work is always on the bleeding edge, his storytelling and design sense is always fantastic. This guy could make a story about paying your taxes look great and catch your interest!

David and I have never met, but he has been a cyber mentor to me for the past 18 months and has been a wealth of “thinking outside the box” information on the solo video journalist paradigm that has helped me form what I do and why.

With urgency, style, and provocation, David delivers credible and well-presented news stories. His work is as serious as it is entertaining. He pulls us into his “experiments” and leaves us to judge the approach for ourselves. It’s hard not to be influenced by his energy and enthusiasm.

A life-changing tutor and mentor - who ABSOLUTELY changed the world of video for my group of new VJs. His work is as inspiring as his teaching methods, and constantly challenging the best way to achieve results. His website and blog and compelling, must-follow sites for anyone working with video or multimedia on the web.

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